Couch Side Super Bowl Preview: Defense

BY CHUCK CONSTANTINO & TREVOR GOULD, Couchsideshow.com

The 2011 Super Bowl will feature a rematch of 2008’s classic Giants–Patriots showdown. The Giants are coming in hot, but the Patriots are the favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Couch Side Show bloggers Chuck Constantino and Trevor Gould weigh in on the matchup.

Defensive Line

Trevor Courtland Gould (TCG): The Giants possess a defensive line that makes offensive lineman quake in their shoes. They are athletic, relentless, and have a mean streak to them. When Justin Tuck isn’t repping Subway sandwiches, he is wrecking havoc against opposing offenses. Linval Joseph and Chris Canty are solid tackles, and Jason Pierre-Paul has established himself as one of the premier athletic freaks in the NFL. And when one of them is tired, in comes veteran Osi Umenyiora, who is probably extra angry due to being relegated to back-up duty. This defensive line is scary.

Chuck Constantino (CC): This isn’t even close; the Giants hands down own the scariest defensive line in football. The speed and relentlessness of the front four cannot be simulated during practice leading up to the big game. These big uglies will hit Tom Brady all night.

Linebackers

TCG: Neither linebacker core is extraordinary, but I feel the Giants trio of Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Boley, and Chase Blackburn have the edge. They are athletic, possess good play awareness, and benefit from having a beast defensive line pushing back plays and instigating all forms of chaos.

CC: The play of New England’s linebackers is somewhat underrated. Jerod Mayo is no slouch, and Brandon Spikes proved he could come up with the big play when needed. They will not be able to line up with wide receiver Victor Cruz in the slot though. Advantage Pats.

Secondary

TCG: Some of the Giants’ more vocal defensive players reside within their secondary, and this season they have backed their tough talk with results. Aaron Ross and Corey Webster combined for 10 interceptions over the course of the regular season, and have established themselves as one of the most formidable cornerback duos in the NFL. They are athletic and lanky corners who aren’t afraid to play physically and aggressively. Watching their backs is talented free safety Antrel Rolle, whose field vision and quickness help him track and break-up potential big plays.

CC: While New England’s Kyle Arrington shook off the bust label this year leading the league with seven interceptions, he alone can’t make up for the lack of talent in the secondary. I mean, Julian Edelman was matched up against Anquan Boldin in the AFC title game. Webster has been able to match up against opposing teams best wide outs all year and Rolle tends to step up in big games, look for the Giants to have the clear advantage.

Chris and Michaela follow Rean and Valimar directly into the sequel to Trails of Cold Steel! It’s a game with a number of improvements and differences from the first, but still with the characters and music you’ve come to expect. …

Episode 330: Bun Fight — The gang welcomes a special guest and then decides the fate of man-buns and whether long or short hair is better. Also, Chris draws a line, Kevin makes his presence known early, Michelle knows a …

Top Tigers prospect Franklin Perez has been diagnosed with a right lat strain, per a team announcement. Though he isn’t expected to require surgery, Perez is going to be sidelined for “a minimum of 12 weeks.” Perez, 20, was the centerpiece of the major, last-second swap that sent Justin Verlander from Detroit to the eventual…

The Braves have re-assigned much-hyped prospect Ronald Acuna to minor-league camp, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was among those to report on Twitter. He’ll presumably open the season at Triple-A. It’s rarely notable when a 20-year-old is moved out of major-league camp. Then again, it’s fairly rare even to see a player of that age… […]

The Royals have agreed to a minor-league deal with righty Clay Buchholz, a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today indicates (Twitter links). If the deal is finalized, Buchholz can earn at a $1.5MM rate in the majors. Buchholz can also reach up to $250K in incentives. He’d earn $25K apiece for making his tenth…

The recent death of owner Tom Benson could eventually result in the Pelicans franchise leaving New Orleans, Tom Ziller of SB Nation discusses in a detailed column. The Pelicans signed a lease six years ago to stay in New Orleans until 2024, but it’s still possible that the franchise could try to break that lease, […]

Danilo Gallinari‘s injury-riddled season has been the Clippers’ biggest issue, coach Doc Rivers told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register and other media members. Gallinari hasn’t played since February 22nd and has only appeared in 19 games. He was acquired in a deal with the Nuggets last summer with the expectation that he’d solidify […]

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will play on Monday for the first time since breaking a bone in his left hand, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. Love has been sidelined since suffering the injury during the first quarter at Detroit on January 30th. He was expected to miss eight weeks, so Love recovered a little […]

Draft Adam Schefter reports that rain is in the forecast for USC QB Sam Darnold‘s Pro Day on Wednesday. However, Darnold still intends to throw after skipping that portion of the Combine, even if it rains. Peter King writes that “there’s a good chance the Colts aren’t done trading yet” despite trading down three spots with … The post NFL Notes: Draft, Bills, […]

Adam Schefter reports that the Colts are signing TE Eric Ebron is signing a two-year deal worth a maximum value of $15 million. The Colts have already announced the move. Ebron visited with the Panthers since becoming available and the Patriots and Ravens were mentioned as potential options, but it appears as though the Colts wound … The post Colts Signing T […]

The New York Jets announced Monday that they’ve signed LB Brandon Copeland to a contract. Copeland, 26, originally signed on with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Pennsylvania back in 2013. He lasted just a few months with the team before he was waived and later caught on with the Titans during his … The post Jets Sign LB Brandon Copeland appeare […]